The Crypto-Con, Reprise 0
Another psychologist takes a look at crypto-currency. I find Nigel Barber’s take particularly interesting–he seems to think it may be an “investment mania.” Here’s a bit (emphasis added):
Like the cryptocurrencies of today, buyers had little knowledge of the true value of the investment and were guided mainly by the fact that the market price was rising.
That sort of irrationality leads to some bizarre equivalences. At the height of the tulip mania in Holland from 1636 to 1637, a rare type of bulb was used to purchase a home. In the dot-com boom of 1999, companies with revenues smaller than a corner store had market valuations of billions of dollars.
Follow the link for the rest, especially if you are thinking about “mining” some crypto con.
The Disinformation Superhighway, Cauldron of Conspiracies Dept. 0
Thom talks with Kelly Weill about why persons fall for conspiracy theories.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Yet more random acts of politeness in NRA Paradise . . . .
The Loyalty Oath 0
Leonard Hitchcock has a theory as to why so many Republicans, when responding to polls, say that they believe Donald Trump won the 2020 election–that it’s a sort of loyalty oath to their dear leader. A nugget:
Methinks he may be onto something. Follow the link for his reasoning.
Look in the Mirror, Boy 0
Remember that the notion of some kind of inherent “American exceptionalism” is a myth most often perpetrated by those who would excuse the inexcusable. If a person or a people wish to be considered somehow “exceptional,” he or she or they must earn it.
Still Rising Again after All These Years 0
Thom dissects Tucker Carlson’s (latest) racist dog-whistle.
The Crypto-Con 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, Richard Maxwell and Toby Miller examine why persons fall for the crypto-con. Here’s how they start their piece:
Marketers celebrate this moment of “pester power” for its shattering of rationality and the cultivation of a lifelong vulnerability to the shopping frenzy. Never mind that kids can learn to identify those frenzied feelings and develop tools to deal with them, which include slow and deep breathing to calm the body and soul. That psychological skill is not much welcome in our culture of consumerism.
This brings us to the latest craze to gin up the masses—cryptocurrency and the useless stuff you can buy with it in the hope of a big payday.
Follow the link to see how they end it.
Useful Idiots 0
At The Seattle Times, Mike Vaska argues that four columns are enough. A snippet:
Follow the link to read how he marshals his evidence.
The Fifth Column Flip-Flop 0
Aside:
My old Philly DL friend Noz thinks that Vladimir Putin has maneuvered himself in a corner. Noz is less than optimistic about the implications thereof.
Me, I don’t do predictions as a matter of policy. Hell, understanding the past is hard enough. I must say, though, that Noz is much more familiar with that part of the world than I.
A Notion of Immigrants 0
At the Des Moines Register, a “dreamer” tells his story. A snippet:
This is terrible for my parents. They came here to give me new opportunities; they couldn’t have known it might tear our family apart. Because that’s what’s coming. When I turn 21, just two and a half years from now, I’ll no longer qualify for a visa as my parents’ dependent. If their green card doesn’t come through by then, I’ll be forced to leave the country — even if I haven’t finished my studies.
Follow the link for the complete article.